Month: September 2008

Black and Thompson lead ROTW team / Five exchange races announced
The KRA is gearing up for its annual International Weekend which gets underway Friday at Busan Race Park and continues on Saturday and Sunday at Seoul Race Park. Highlight of the event is the International Jockey Challenge which takes place on Saturday and Sunday at Seoul. Five invited overseas jockeys will be in Seoul to represent the Rest of the World team against five local jockeys over four races, one on Saturday and three on Sunday. Making up the International team are:

Anthony Black (USA) – The winner of over 5000 races in a career that has spanned nearly thirty years. His biggest win came in the Pennsylvania Derby on Devil’s Honor in 1997.

Robert Thompson (Australia) – Thompson holds the record for the most wins ever by an Australian jockey and is only the fourth Australian in history to ride over 3000 winners.

Korea fields five jockeys who are at the top of the jockey’s championship this year. Veteran Park Tae Jong heads the team as usual and is joined by the only two jockeys ahead of him in the standings, Moon Se Young and Cho Kyoung Ho. Rounding out the team are Moon Jung Kyun and the in-form Choi Beom Hyun.

A first prize of $20,000 will go to the jockey who scores the most points over the weekend. Twenty points will be awarded for a win, 15 for a second place and then down in increments of three to sixth place. Last year, South African Gerrit Schlecter took the honours.

In addition to the Jockey’s Challenge, five International Exchange Races will also take place. Each with a first prize of KRW 53Million, the first will be the Macau Jockey Club race at Busan Race Park on Friday. Saturday sees races for the STC, the Australian Jockey Club and Horse Racing Ireland, while on Sunday, the JRA Trophy race takes centre stage. Two Malaysia based jockeys will also be over for the STC race, Ronald Woodworth and Harmeet Singh Gill. We’ll have a further preview of the big races once final cards are published later in the week.

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Wonder Love (38.8 ) galloped home to a shock win in the KRW 142 Million Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup Race at Busan Race Park. The six year old had spent much of the past year finishing third but he managed to overhaul another outsider, Gongnopae (29.4) in the final few metres for a three quarter length win. Favourite Golding (1.5), put in a blistering final furlong but could only make it up to third. However, the race was not without controversy as Namdo Choegang (34.3) fell as they rounded the final turn after colliding with Hangye Geukbok(5.8 ). Jo Sung Gon on Hangye Geukbok was deemed responsible and his horse disqualified. The surprise one-two paid an exacta of 1111.8. It was Gongnopae, under Kim Eu Soo, who had made most of the running but Han Sang Kyu brought Wonder Love through just at the right time to snatch the win.

Things went slightly more to form in the KRA Cup Classic at Seoul Race Park as third-favourite Fly Queen (4.8 ) came through the field late to record the win by two lengths. Park Tae Jong had kept the mare at the back of a field where the pace was made for much of the race by second favourite Pocketful Of Money. Also prominent at the front throughout the back straight were Galsaem and favourite, Top Point (2.4). Park asked his horse to go as they entered the home straight and although with a furlong to go he still had plenty to do, he finished pulling away. Also coming through from behind was Blue Dia (84.9), who managed to just grab second ahead of Top Point in third.

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Supernatural streak ends / Coleraine impresses
On a beautiful Autumn day at Seoul Race Park, Machine Gun followed up his defeat of Baekpa with victory in today’s feature by the narrowest of margins. In a frenetic race, Hwanggeum Mulgyeol (27.1) made the early pace, but it was Flying Cat (15.6) under Choi Beom Hyun who took over with two furlongs to go. It looked as though the eight year old had stolen a march on the favourites and would hold on for an unlikely win, however, the line wouldn’t come soon enough. Favourite Machine Gun (2.3) and Dashing Champ (6.9) had sat in the middle of the field throughout and Moon Se Young and Shim Seung Tae finally got going as they entered the final furlong. They caught Flying Cat with just a few metres left and crossed the line together. At first sight, it looked like Dashing Champ had it, but the photograph showed Machine Gun had taken the KRW 42Million prize on the nod.

After the unbeaten streaks of Shaving Points and Playing Politics were both ended at three, it was New Zealand import Supernatural’s turn to try and extend his to four in race 11. It wasn’t to be. The four year old gelding was sent off the slight favourite at 3.1 but was kept at the back of the field throughout. Jockey Park Soo Hong left himself a lot of work to do in the home straight and although Supernatural passed five horses in the final furlong he was never in the battle for the win. That battle was won by in style by second favourite Bold Magic (3.2) who streaked away from the field in the last furlong for a ninth length win from Last Dance Buddy (3.7).

Earlier, another New Zealand import, Coleraine had made it two from two with a comfortable wire to wire victory in race 4. The three year old looks ready for better company next time out. Race 2 was for unraced two year olds and Red Ball (2.8 ) justified his favourite status by romping to an eleven length win. Cruising away from the rest of the field with two furlongs remaining and eased by Yang Hee Jin long before the line, the colt will be one to watch in the domestic ranks over the next few months.

Ecton Cat (1.7) and Dangdanghan 2.2 secured their expected victories although both had to grind out one length wins in races 8 and 9 respectively, likewise Wangsan (1.4) in race 6 who had to work even harder, eventually holding on by a neck. There was, however, a remarkable result paying a 1861.9 exacta in race 6 as unfancied Kkum Ha Na (39.7) edged out extremely unfancied Fly Captain (110.0) in a blanket finish. With the third horse home, Useungcup, also untouched in the market at 60.1, more than one formguide found itself surplus to requirements as far as punters were concerned.

With temperatures hovering around the 20 degree mark, sunshine and a light breeze, conditions were as perfect as they get at Seoul. Similar is hoped for tomorrow with one of the biggest days on the calendar. Busan’s Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup Card gets underway at 12:40 at the southern track while in Seoul it’s KRA Cup Classic day with the first race at 11:20. Busan’s big race is off at 15:40 and Seoul’s at 17:05. Both tracks will be showing both races (see below for full previews).

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Thirteen go in Cup Classic / Supernatural bids for fourth win
A first prize of KRW 103Million will go to the winner of Sunday’s KRA Cup Classic at Seoul Race Park. The handicap, open to foreign horses has attracted an eclectic mix of entires including locally bred mare Galsaem, who for the first time this year won’t be suffering from a restrictive weight. Also going is Top Point, a horse with nine wins from thirteen starts, however, it is Pocketful of Money who has won two out of her last three who has been handed the most weight. The big race is off at 17:05 on Sunday and is race 9 of an 11 race card which gets underway at 11:20. See below for a full list of runners, weights and riders for the KRA Cup Classic.

Saturday sees twelve races at Seoul with the first off at 11:20. Machine Gun makes his first appearance since his transition from old-stager to conqueror of Baekpa in the feature handicap at 16:50. Up against the six year old in a field of eleven over 2000 metres is Dashing Champ and Nujindo.

Perhaps the most watched race, however, will be race 11 a category 2 handicap for foreign bred horses where New Zealand bred Supernatural will be looking to go four for four. The gelding steps up to 1900 metres, 600 more than he has previously travelled and also a whole lot more in class. Amongst those facing him will be Captain Cugat, Mexicali Blues, South Darby and Last Dance Buddy.

In addition to racing at Seoul, there are cards at Busan on Friday and Sunday (see preview below) and at Jeju on Saturday and Sunday.

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Sunday is a big day for overseas bred horses in Korea with Seoul and Busan both hosting G3 races offering nearly KRW 150Million to their respective winners. Seoul hosts the KRA Cup Classic at 17:00 but first up is is the Gyeongsang-Namdo (South Gyeongsang Province) Governor’s Cup which will come under orders at Busan Race Park at 15:40. The race has attracted a number of veteran Busan horses such as Golding and Hangye Geukbok as well as younger challengers such as Florida Native and the three year Saeroun Bulpae. See below for a full list of runners and riders.

There are cards at Busan on Friday and Sunday with Friday’s action getting underway at 13:00 when there will be ten races. The first of six races is off at 12:40 on Sunday: